Blog: On Safe Ground

Safe Ground and Family Man feature in this weeks Times Educational Supplement in an eight-page spread entitled ‘The sins of the fathers’, that looks at different ways that a child with a parent in prison can speak about it in school without fear of stigma and humilation. For more information see the TES website: http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6099521 Read more »

A Family Man graduate will be featured on Woman’s Hour on Tuesday 26th April. Tune in at 10am to hear Scott talk about his experiences of the programme, and to hear from his mum Patricia about what it’s like to have a son inside. For more information see the Radio 4 website – http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b010m7kv Read more »

A MASSIVE thank you to Marc Thurgood who ran the London Marathon for Safe Ground. Marc ran in an incredible 3 hours and 32 minutes raising over £1200 to support our work in prisons and the community. We are still collecting donations, so if you’re as impressed as we are visit http://www.justgiving.com/Marc-Thurgood Read more »

‘And a partridge in a pear tree’ sounds for the twelfth and final time, and the small assembled crowd whoops and cheers as the prisoners finish singing. Each has represented their ‘day’ of the song through sound and action, particular favourites for the audience having been ‘seven maids a’ milking’ and ‘five go-o-o-ld rings’. The [...] Read more »

The ground has been strewn with a moderately thick blanket of snow, and England has once again ground to a juddering halt. But despite the treacherous roads and indefinitely delayed trains, myself and a small group of guests slip and slide our way down the long and infinitely icy stretch of path which leads to [...] Read more »

…and the Yellow Walls. Merksplas is the 2nd largest prison in the Flemish community, with over 700 inmates. It too is a building with a history; it was originally used to incarcerate the homeless – who were made to work on the surrounding farmland – back when vagrancy was still a crime. As we walk [...] Read more »

The Green Fields…. In the verdant countryside of northern Belgium lies Hoogstraten, a 16th century castle surrounded by a moat, tree lined avenues and acres of fields. This turreted, pinnacled and intricately brickworked building is in fact the largest ‘open’ prison in the Flemish part of Belgium, housing approximately 170 inmates. It is a different [...] Read more »

‘SQWARK…SQWARK…SQWARK.’ A Family Man student dressed as a giant bird, complete with golden beak and luxuriant paper wings, makes a noisy circuit of the stage – flapping wildly – to the delight of children and parents alike. This exuberant character is Martin. A few weeks ago he would not even speak in front of the class, [...] Read more »

As Chris, one of the officers delivering Family Man, perfects an anatomical flipchart sketch illustrating the uncomfortable positioning of his piles, accompanied by good-natured howls of laughter and jibes from the class, the contrast with the previous day’s supporters-only Session could not be more stark. The Supporters’ Session, which introduces the prisoners’ designated spouse, partner, [...] Read more »

‘Dammit!’ I’ve forgotten half of my driving licence, and prison restrictions mean I’m not even carrying a phone to call anyone for advice. Marooned in London Bridge station I watch my train pull in and toy with the idea of jumping on, going to Belmarsh and pleading my case. But only for a split second; [...] Read more »